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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerulean_Wings" data-source="post: 4029109" data-attributes="member: 55060">Wahoo! I got the internetz! *ahem* Alright, it's dial up, but it's better than nothing  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> Here's the next chapter! I hope the cliffhanger keeps you anxious for more story hour goodness!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> Chapter 19Escape “I don’t like this plan, Gil” Vincent was telling the mercenary as they crawled through the narrow tunnel that Kahleen had dug for them. It had taken the shape shifting woman the better part of an hour to dig the tunnel twice, so that the four others could actually move into it. In her badger shape, she had made her way parallel to the canyon’s wall, and after a while turned it to the right, so as to make an exit hole to the valley.Right ahead of Vincent was Gilliam, and the mercenary was covered in dirt from top to bottom, and had had his fair share of smacking his head on the low ceiling of the tunnel. “It’s the only one we have, I’m afraid” he replied as he moved, one step at a time.“I don’t like it either, boss” said Gon’s voice from behind the squire. “I think that there’s this chance that Mr. Giant will see us, and consequently murder us”. Regardless of the distance between each other, it wasn’t hard making out the words, for the sounds echoed in the tunnel. “It’s either that or starving to death in the cave, Gon” Darius replied dryly from behind the wily soldier. “Do you want to go back to the cave?”Gon chuckled at this. “Not at all, my dear Broken blade, not at all! I suppose we can use your body as an efficient shield, if it comes to battling the giant once more”.“And you know what I think?” Darius asked, sounding annoyed. “I think we should use you as a decoy. It wouldn’t hurt to lose you in the process, if you ask me”.“Have you forgotten who healed everyone’s wounds, including your own, Broken blade?” Gon easily retorted. Darius had no comeback for that, and remained silent, scowling at the bent shape ahead of him.“When will those two ever stop?” Gilliam wondered in a low voice, finding it hard to concentrate in moving through the tight space as he listened to their antics. Kahleen’s badger-body was ahead, waiting for him, and resuming her movement once the mercenary got close enough. How he envied having her ability to adapt to different circumstances!They had been crawling for what seemed like an eternity, with only more rocks and stones ahead of them as they moved inch by inch. But eventually the passage bent to the right, and everyone prepared for the inevitability of emerging into the valley and potentially confronting the giant a second time.“Remember, we do not engage the giant if it comes to that. We’ll make a run to another hideout, if need be, or to Wellspring itself, should we be close enough” Gilliam said to everyone right before the bent. Kahleen had shifted back to her usual self, and was ahead of him. “I don’t have much spiritual energy left for more than three spells, but Gon can manipulate the wand to heal you, should you be injured in the escape”.No one felt like pointing out that to be struck by the giant would mean an almost certain death blow, and thus the prospect of healing didn’t give them any reassurance. But the five were facing this challenge with grim determination, and all nodded in unison when asked if they were ready.Gilliam emerged to the outside right after Kahleen, and was surprised to be greeted by a starry sky from above. He had lost track of time, back in the prison-cave, but he hadn’t expected it to be so late in the day. Vincent’s clanking movement from behind brought him back to his senses, and the mercenary began to look around for hulking humanoid shapes. Meanwhile, Vincent was getting up from the ground, groaning due to the pain of his sore muscles from all the crawling in the heavy armor. Gon emerged right after him, quickly followed by Darius. Both soldiers glanced at each other warily for a moment, and began to observe their surroundings afterwards without saying a word.“Unless this one is a nocturnal giant, I’m assuming it’ll be asleep” Vincent commented. Gon nodded and crouched to analyze the ground for tracks. “I hope we can say the same for its pet, that mean bear that almost killed me” the man added. His voice was even, but it was obvious that he didn’t have any positive feelings towards that dire bear in the least.Gilliam asked Kahleen to keep watch in the direction that they had seen the giant, the opposite way to the city of Wellspring, while he faced the way to their destination, considering the situation. Their choices and resources were limited, but he still felt like there was something more they could do about the matter. Or maybe he was hoping that that was the case. “Alright, let’s get moving, we can’t afford to waste another second out here in the open, midnight or not” he said to the rest. Without a word, everyone complied and followed him near the valley’s wall, heading towards Wellspring.They walked at first, fearful of disturbing the giant or something else in the valley. Kahleen had Blood Moon out at the ready, and the four warriors each had their weapons in hand as well. Eventually, after two hours or so, they dared to trot lightly, now that they had kept a fair distance from the cave and the tunnel. Under the starlight, they were but shadows moving through the valley to the eye of a daylight being. But for the eyes of creatures that had an innate darkvision, the five were as obvious as thieves trying to sneak in the middle of a desert at noon. Too late did they realize this, unfortunately.An enormous rock descended rapidly from above the valley’s wall, and it took Gon’s honed reflexes to yell out just in time, jumping out of the way and making the others imitate him. The rock collided with the solid earth in a massive explosion, a deafening sound that lasted more than one second. It was in that second that the five got up from their prone postures and began a mad run, their destination a city they hoped was less than an hour away.“How in the Hells did he know we were here?!” Darius shouted as he ran, perplexed. By all rights they had been cautious in their escape, and the giant couldn’t possibly have been spying on them all the time. Still, present evidence seemed to suggest the opposite.“It doesn’t matter! Save your breath and keep running!” Gilliam replied, sheathing his bastard swords as he did, since he couldn’t use them to fight back. Apparently, the giant was up on the canyon’s edge, right on top of them, the perfect position to bombard them with boulders the size of a horse.Yet another large stone fell upon the group, and this one nearly smashed on top of Kahleen, but the shaman sidestepped, only getting clipped on the shoulder, without halting her momentum.At first, they thought as if they could run for the whole night, with the adrenaline pumping through their veins in a steady flow, giving them energy to keep moving ahead. The giant managed to keep their pace, throwing more rocks occasionally, but since it had to run and attack at the same time, its aim was off the target all the time. But as the minutes went by, even the sturdy Gilliam began to feel winded. The fact that they hadn’t spotted city lights by then didn’t do much to bolster their hopes of finding a safe refuge. And the more tired they felt, the easier it would be for the giant’s rocks to finally collapse on top of one of them, burying the victim.When Gon heard an even louder impact right behind him, even more powerful than the ones from the falling rocks, he couldn’t help but spend an extra second to look over his shoulder.The giant was there, looming over them, war axe in hand, somehow keeping his running speed after sliding and jumping from the canyon’s wall all the way down to the valley. Gon had known fear from the monster’s pet, but the sensation that overwhelmed him now, preventing him from even screaming in horror, was a hundred times worse than that.Lifting the massive weapon with two meaty hands, the giant prepared to cleave Gon in two.</blockquote>

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